The right-wing government's asylum application processing office, which cost 40 million euros, was closed after one year; 120 employees were laid off.
The Dutch government has decided to dissolve the DISA (Identificatie- en Screeningdienst Asielzoekers), a special agency responsible for identifying and screening asylum seekers. Its responsibilities will now return to the IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst).
The agency was established in January 2025 to handle the identification of newly arrived asylum seekers. DISA collected biometric data such as fingerprints and facial scans and carried out preliminary checks before transferring asylum cases to the IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst). The move had originally been designed to relieve the police, who had been responsible for these tasks until late 2024.
The government invested around €40 million in DISA, including staffing and a newly developed computer system designed to process biometric data. Critics inside the system say the shutdown means a large amount of taxpayer money has effectively been wasted, as the organization is now being dismantled barely a year after its creation.
DISA is expected to cease operations around June 12. After that date, the IND (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst) will again manage the registration and screening of asylum seekers. Within the IND, this new responsibility will be handled under a structure known as OVA (Opvang en Voorbereiding), which includes both registration and the new “domestic screening” procedures at Ter Apel (Ter Apel asylum reception center).
The closure is closely linked to the introduction of the Europees Asielpact (European Asylum Pact). Beginning June 12, stricter European Union rules will regulate the screening of asylum seekers both at external borders and within EU member states. By transferring DISA’s duties to the IND, the government aims to centralize these processes under one authority.
Many workers have reacted with anger and disappointment, saying they feel betrayed after dedicating more than a year to building the agency. The frustration is intensified by the large public investment in infrastructure and systems that will now no longer be used.